Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station

Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station
Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station
Location within North Yorkshire
Former names	Staithes Lifeboat Station
General information
Type	RNLI Lifeboat Station
Location	Cowbar
Address	North Side
Town or city	Staithes, North Yorkshire, TS13 5BY
Country	England
Coordinates	54°33′35″N0°47′30″W / 54.5597°N 0.7917°W / 54.5597; -0.7917
Opened	1875, 1928, 1978-ILB
Closed	1922, 1938
Owner	Royal National Lifeboat Institution
Website
Staithes and Runswick RNLI Lifeboat Station

Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station is located on the north side of the harbour, in the village of Staithes, in the county of North Yorkshire, England. ^[1]

Staithes Lifeboat Station was established in 1875 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). It has been closed for two periods between 1922 and 1978, due to a decline in the fishing industry, and the availability of local crew. Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station was re-established in 1978 as an Inshore lifeboat station. ^[2]

The station currently operates a B-class (Atlantic 85) Inshore lifeboat, Sheila & Dennis Tongue III (B-897), on station since 2016. ^[3]

History

A lifeboat at Runswick, just to the south of Staithes, was established in 1866. The RNLI had wished to station a lifeboat in Staithes by 1870, but had given up on the idea as there was a lack of suitable locations to site the lifeboathouse. ^[4]

In 1874, a wealthy donation, and a codicil in a will of a benefactor that stipulated that a lifeboat should be stationed at Staithes, enabled the RNLI to press ahead with its plans. ^[5] The crew used an old alum warehouse as a temporary lifeboathouse, until one was built by the RNLI. ^[6]

The lifeboathouse was built at Staithes in 1875, and later modified in 1910. Both Staithes and Runswick lifeboat stations operated side by side, but a lack of crew, and a decline in the fishing fleet at Staithes, brought about the closure of Staithes in 1922. ^[7]

The station was re-opened in 1928 after the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries installed a harbour and breakwaters. This created a resurgence in fishing from Staithes, and the RNLI once again provided a lifeboat. ^[8] The resurgence was short lived however, and the station closed again in 1938. ^[9]

In January 1978, the site was used as a test-bed for the new Atlantic 21-class lifeboats. After an acceptance trial, it was decided to re-open the station at Staithes. ^[10]

The station officially re-opened on 17 June 1978, with Runswick closing on 30 June 1978. The station, now known as Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station, had been operational since April 1978, when the first new ILB had been sent for trials. The Staithes lifeboat occupied the same station that had been built in 1875; this building is now grade II listed. ^{[11] [12]}

The lifeboat house is on a stretch of land known as the "Cowbar" and the slipway gentle curves towards the bay allowing the lifeboat to be launched by a tractor. ^[13]

The people of Runswick Bay later instituted their own Independent lifeboat, which is known as the Runswick Bay Rescue Boat (RBRB). By 1984, the RBRB was fully accredited with the coastguard and is part of the overall response to emergencies in the north east region, being seen as a complement to the RNLI services, not competing or hindering them. ^[14]

The station has a yearly Lifeboat Weekend. The event sees a nightgown parade, a fireworks display and demonstrations at sea, and usually has over 2,000 people attending. The event is held across both villages of Staithes and Runswick. ^[15]

Also occurring yearly is an auction held in the Cod and Lobster public house in the village, raising money for the RNLI lifeboat in the village. In 2023, the auction raised £6,050 for the Staithes and Runswick RNLI lifeboat. ^[16]

Notable callouts

• 27 November 1888 - a great storm raged on the sea, and the Staithes lifeboat went out to aid the return of forty-five fishing cobles. The final launch to bring the last coble back to port was feared to be a disaster when the storm worsened overnight; neither ship was sighted, and also, two bodies were washed ashore. Whilst those on the coble were not saved, the crew and boat battled through the storm with significant damage to the lifeboat. The lifeboat crew were picked up by a passing steamer and dropped off at Middlesbrough. ^[17] One of the lifeboat crewmen was drowned and his body was washed ashore a day later. ^[18] At the inquiry it was noted that;

  ...the boat was in every respect staunch and seaworthy, but that on her being launched by a strange crew for the first time, the brass ventilators opening into the air-chambers below deck were not screwed down, and consequently, when on her second voyage, she shipped in heavy seas and the air-cases filled with water and she capsized. ^[19]

• 8 August 2018 - the crew were called out to a nine year-old child who had been trapped by a rockfall on the beach. ^[20]

Station honours

The following are awards made at Staithes and Runswick. ^{[21] [22]}

• RNLI Bronze Medal

Stephen Iredale, Helm – 2000

• The Walter and Elizabeth Groombridge Award 2000
  (for the outstanding inshore lifeboat rescue of the year)

Stephen Iredale, Helm – 2000 - Staithes

• The Thanks of the Institution inscribed on Vellum

David Porritt, Helm – 1996

Sean Baxter, Helm – 1996

• A Framed Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

Martin Hopkinson, crew member – 1996

• A Collective Letter of Thanks signed by the Chairman of the Institution

Iain Baxter, crew member – 1996

Jason Edison, crew member – 1996

Martin Hopkinson, crew member – 1996

David Porritt, crew member – 1996

Lee Porritt, crew member – 1996

David Springett, crew member – 1996

Michael Verrill, crew member – 1996

• Member, Order of the British Empire (MBE)

William James

James Clemence James – 1989NYH ^[23]

• RNLI Silver Statue

James Wright – 2004 ^[24]

Roll of honour

In memory of those lost whilst serving the Staithes and Runswick lifeboat. ^[21]

• Died after being thrown on the rocks, when the lifeboat Winefride Mary Hopps (ON 107) capsized on service to a fishing coble, November 1888

John Crookes, crew member

• Died after saving a school boy, and attempting to save a man in the harbour, 28 August 1957.

George Hanson, Head Launcher

• Collapsed and died of a heart attack, during launch preparations of the Atlantic 21, to the fishing vessel Nicola Jane, 2 April 1990

J. R. Baxter, Tractor Driver

Staithes and Runswick lifeboats

All-weather lifeboats (Staithes)

ON [a]	Name	On Station [25]	Class	Comments
Pre-587	Hannah Somerset	1875–1887	32-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[26]
107	Winefride Mary Hopps	1887–1894	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[27]
369	Jonathan Stott	1894–1904	34-foot Self-righting (P&S)
378	Elizabeth and Blanche	1904–1907	36-foot Self-righting (P&S)
572	James Gowland	1907–1922	35-foot Self-righting (P&S)	[28]
Station Closed 1922–1928
447	John Anthony	1928–1938	35-foot Self-righting (Rubie)

All-weather lifeboat was withdrawn, and the station closed again in 1938

Pre ON numbers are unofficial numbers used by the Lifeboat Enthusiast Society to reference early lifeboats not included on the official RNLI list.

Inshore lifeboats (Staithes and Runswick)

Op. No. [b]	Name	On Station [29]	Class	Comments
B-506	Unnamed	1978	Atlantic 21	Inshore Lifeboat Station opened March 1978
B-538	Lord Brotherton	1978–1989	Atlantic 21	[11]
B-576	Ellis Sinclair	1989–2002	Atlantic 21	[11]
B-788	Pride of Leicester	2002–2016	Atlantic 75	[11]
B-897	Sheila & Dennis Tongue III	2016–	Atlantic 85	[30] [31]

Launch and recovery tractors

Op. No. [b]	Reg. No.	Type,	On Station [32]	Comments
TW05	UJT 151S	Talus MB-764 County	1978–1987
TW11	B251 HUX	Talus MB-764 County	1987–1992
TW09	PEL 169W	Talus MB-764 County	1992–1993
TW30	L123 HUX	Talus MB-764 County	1993–1998
TW11	B251 HUX	Talus MB-764 County	1998–2003
TW55Hc	DU52 XGA	Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2)	2003–2011
TW54Hc	DU02 WEJ	Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk2)	2011–2012
TW53Hb	DU51 FET	Talus MB-4H Hydrostatic (Mk1.5)	2012–

1. ON is the RNLI's Official Number of the boat.
2. Op. No. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat carried on the hull.

See also

• List of RNLI stations
• List of former RNLI stations
• Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats

References

1. "Yorkshire XIX.2". Maps. National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 25 March 2025.
2. Leonard, Richie; Denton, Tony (2025). Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2025. Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society. p. 116.
3. Leonard & Denton 2025, p. 85.
4. Historic England. "Lifeboat Station at Staithes (1025953)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 5 March 2019.
5. "Launch of a new life-boat at Staithes". The Northern Echo. No. 1,684. 2 June 1875. p. 4. OCLC   614690399.
6. Whitworth, Alan (2012). Runswick Bay & Staithes through time. Stroud: Amberley. p. 46. ISBN   978-1-4456-0593-7.
7. Chrystal 2012, p. 38.
8. "Staithes Station Reopened". The Lifeboat. 27 (295). Poole: RNLI: 123. September 1928. ISSN   0024-3086.
9. "Nostalgia on Tuesday: Brave Tradition". The Yorkshire Post. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
10. Leach 2018, pp. 113–114.
11. Morgan, Mike (10 June 2008). "Staithes celebrates lifeboat tradition". Gazette Live. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
12. Historic England. "Lifeboat House (Grade II) (1312642)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 14 February 2019.
13. Bagshaw, Mike (2018). North York Moors & Yorkshire Wolds: Including York & the Coast. Chalfont St Peter: Bradt. p. 79. ISBN   978-1-78477-075-4.
14. Robinson, Chris (July 1984). "The Foresight of Man, and the Birth of the Runswick Bay Rescue Boat". North East Times (14). Newcastle: Chris Robinson Publishing: 10. ISSN   1468-909X.
15. Robson, Dave (9 August 2018). "Staithes Lifeboat Weekend to go ahead despite rock fall tragedy". Gazette Live. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
16. Stoker, James (12 April 2023). "Staithes and Runswick RNLI's auction raises over £6,000". RNLI. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
17. Spencer, Brian (1984). The visitor's guide to the North York Moors, York and the Yorkshire coast . Ashbourne: Moorland. p.  65. ISBN   0-86190-114-2.
18. "The Staithes life-boat disaster". The Northern Echo. No. 5,856. Col F. 29 November 1888. p. 3. OCLC   614690399.
19. "The perils of the sea". The Northern Echo. No. 5,858. Col A. 1 December 1888. p. 8. OCLC   614690399.
20. Perraudin, Frances (10 August 2018). "Girl, nine, who died in Staithes rockfall named as Harriet Forster". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
21. "Staithes and Runswick's Station history". Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Station. RNLI. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
22. "Medal Roll 1998–2024". The Lifesaving Awards Research Society (110): 65.
23. "Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order of the British Empire". The London Gazette. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
24. "Long service to lifeboats hailed". Teesside Gazette. 29 December 2004. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
25. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 14–35.
26. Leach 2018, p. 114.
27. "Additional stations and new life-boats". The Lifeboat. XIII (146). Poole: RNLI: 422. November 1887. ISSN   0024-3086.
28. "Annual Report (Assets)". The Lifeboat. XXI (240). Poole: RNLI: 354–355. May 1911. ISSN   0024-3086.
29. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 80–85.
30. "Staithes has new lifeboat". RNLI. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
31. "Naming ceremony for new lifeboat". The Northern Echo. 10 April 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
32. Leonard & Denton 2025, pp. 107–109.

Sources

• Chrystal, Paul (2012). Lifeboat Stations of North East England; From Sunderland to The Humber, Through Time. Stroud: Amberley. ISBN   978-1-4456-1376-5.
• Leach, Nicholas (2018). The Lifeboat Service in England; the North East Coast, Station by Station. Stroud: Amberley. ISBN   978-1-4456-6832-1.

External links

• Staithes Lifeboat Station on Town web site
• Staithes and Runswick RNLI Lifeboat Station